Author: Nick Tuori

The OK Red’s members are relatively unchanged as only Caledonia is added to the mix this fall. The Scots have been facing top competition in the OK White the past four seasons, but the OK Red is a stronger league with more depth from top to bottom. In a tough league, quarterback play is essential for a team’s success. East Kentwood, Grandville, Hudsonville and Rockford return their quarterbacks this fall while Caledonia, Grand Haven and West Ottawa will have to sort that position battle out. It appears that Rockford is the favorite to win the league with East Kentwood and Hudsonville right...

The OK Blue Conference underwent slight membership changes as a result of the realignment this past offseason. Belding has left the conference and will be playing in the OK Silver this fall. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (OK Gold) and Spring Lake (Lakes Eight) are newcomers to the Blue this fall and will be tough competition for traditional powers Comstock Park and West Catholic. The Falcons are the favorite, but there are five teams that could contend for the title. PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1- GR West Catholic 2- Comstock Park 3- GR Catholic Central 4- Allendale 5- Spring Lake 6- Sparta 7- Coopersville ALLENDALE (5-4 in 2015) Allendale has built a consistent winning program with just one losing season since 2001. Last year, the Falcons were one win shy of the magical six win total, but they were not close in any of their four losses. Three of those four losses return to Allendale’s schedule this fall, but the Falcons will have experience on their side, especially on offense. Quarterback Colton Kloote returns for his second season under center, coming off a year in which he averaged over 200 yards per game in the air. His top two targets, wide receiver Drew Courtier and tight end (Western Michigan commit) Nate Umlor are also back, so expect the high levels of production to continue this fall. Allendale will...

The OK Silver for most of recent memory was a two-team race between Hopkins and Northpointe Christian. Hopkins won at least a share of the league title from 2010-2014, and Northpointe has finished no worse than third in their four years as a member, winning two league titles. Grandville Calvin Christian, it should be noted, also shared the 2013 league championship title. This year the league adds Belding from the OK Blue. This appears to be Northpointe’s league to run away with for their second straight title, with a much more exciting competition between the teams jockeying for second through sixth place. PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1-Northpointe Christian 2-Godwin Heights 3-Hopkins 4-Grandville Calvin Christian 5-Kelloggsville 6-Belding 7-Wyoming Lee BELDING (1-8 in 2015) Once a powerhouse that reached four state finals in the 1990’s, the Belding Redskins have slid off since the turn of the 2010s, reaching the playoffs just once. After a season in which they won just a single contest, the Redskins will look to improve on their record this fall. Two way linebacker and running backs James Daniel and Nolan Beck will be back along with interior lineman Dalton Riches and Damion Ball. A move to the OK Silver should help the Redskins as they are similar to the teams in this league in terms of size. Expect Belding to top last year’s one win total...

The OK Gold brings in some new members and some former members to go along with mainstays Middleville, South Christian and Wayland. East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Christian come in from the OK White, and neither of these schools have been in the Gold before. Wyoming, in from the OK Bronze, is new to the Gold as well, however Wyoming Park, one of the two schools that merged to become Wyoming, was a part of the OK Gold from 2000-2004. Forest Hills Eastern, an OK Gold member from 2008-2011 is back in the conference after four years in the OK Bronze. These schools join Middleville (2003), South Christian (1984) and Wayland (1984), who have spent many years facing off in the OK Gold conference. This league has three schools (East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Christian and South Christian) that have won a state championship this decade. PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1-East Grand Rapids 2-Grand Rapids Christian 3-South Christian 4-Middleville 5-Wayland 6-Forest Hills Eastern 7-Wyoming EAST GRAND RAPIDS (9-4 in 2015) East Grand Rapids is one of the premier programs in West Michigan since the turn of the millennium, as they have made the playoffs in thirteen of those seasons, including seven state championships. The Pioneers went back to back in 2002 and 2003, followed by five in a row from 2006-2010. Coach Peter Stuursma left this offseason...

The OK White went through a complete overhaul in the alignment as just two of the seven teams in this year’s White were in the league in 2015 (Lowell and Forest Hills Central). Ottawa Hills joins the OK White after eight years in the OK Gold. Cedar Springs, Forest Hills Northern, Greenville and Northview all join the league from the disbanded OK Bronze. This league is not as intimidating as the OK White of the last four years that included East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Christian and Caledonia, but it is certainly a top three OK Conference league. Lowell...